Whats on the workbench in April.

Thank Bob for the clarification. I am so used to seeing that nice stretched out swimmer look from your fronds, I just assumed the wigeon was one..........
 
Wompin on a few different types of Duck. Thinking of bringing back the heavy-petting style paint, and more sophisticated oils from last Summer on the Coot. None of that Subtitled, Italian, French Fruit-Style stuff was used in the inspiration of these Decoys!

I envisioned a Keg with a pyramid of Chew-Tins stacked around the Tap atop hand-crafted planks of Cedar. Then from not too far, but far enough a Guy who looked like a taller Yosimite Sam/Charlie Manson said to me, "Hold my Beer, and watch this!" Pulling an RPG-Launcher out from the back of a rusted out '91 Chevrolet Celebrity the Guy fires, and blows the whole setup sky high. When the dust cleared the Guy was gone. Like a Pyramid these Decoys were sitting on the ashes clean, and unburned, but with a few knots & cracks, and perhaps a glue-drip...

It turned out to all have been a dream. I had eaten one of those Little Ceasar's $5 Hot & Ready Pizzas before I went to bed so that might have had something to do with it, but anyway I made the Decoys for real afterward. It did take me a little while to register no Beer, or Chew had been harmed in reality, and that was a relief...

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That's some funny stuff right there...

I was starting to think that I was the only one left that liked action movies, beer and chew.

You're puttin' out some nice stuff Bender.

Tod, great dove.
 
I'm not a big fan of chew. But I love beer and watching stuff blow up. And I hate subtitles. Nice work this month everyone. One of these days I'll sit down and try my hand at hacking out a few decoys. Luke
 
Great post Brandon!!!!!
I have a little of this, a little of that. I should be training the dog but...
Swimmer
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Another Teal
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Frond
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Another Frond, he'll have an exposed wing
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Really like the Fonds which I could see more of these.

The cupped hand is brilliant, very good. Not sure I would know were to start.
 
Ok here goes nothing. This will be my first hollow cedar decoy. The guy teaching me doesn't use any lines on the decoy to follow. Is that something that I should do? Will it help me to carve a nicer decoy? I am happy with the way my first head came out. Again the guy teaching me doesn't use a top view pattern of the head. So its all kinda free hand. And of course no power carvers. Its a lot of fun. Just wondering if it would be eaiser with referance lines. Also brandon I love those black ducks! I really like the bodies and the paint. Awesome job. At some point I hope my decoys look like that.
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I would follow the direction of the guy that's teaching you...

That being said, I've never heard of anyone that doesn't draw on the bird. Not using a top profile for the head is pretty common.

But like I said, he's teaching you, so I would follow his lead and then as you start doing them more on your own you can find your own way.
 
Ok here goes nothing. This will be my first hollow cedar decoy. The guy teaching me doesn't use any lines on the decoy to follow. Is that something that I should do? Will it help me to carve a nicer decoy? I am happy with the way my first head came out. Again the guy teaching me doesn't use a top view pattern of the head. So its all kinda free hand. And of course no power carvers. Its a lot of fun. Just wondering if it would be eaiser with referance lines.
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Chris,

As long as you are following an experienced carvers lead...go with it. However, once he sets you off on your own, you may want some resembelance of a pattern to follow. I don't have formalized top view of head patterns myself, but I use a tool for marking mortices to draw a centerline, and each side of the bill, then sketch the head curves. Otherwise, I end up with crooked bills...heck, even with all these markings, my bills still end up crooked from time to time. However, if you get so anal that you are checking the carving every 30 seconds with a calipier against a pattern book...then you have gone off the deep end.

So, short term, go with the flow, and if your mentor can teach you to just cut out a duck shaped piece of wood, then you will be way ahead of the rest of us. Just don't get so artsy-fartsy on us that you are mixing $100 of different colors of tube oil to get the perfect shade of black.

Keep up the good work
Chuck
 
Thanks guys I follow what you saying. I will learn as much as I can then kinda find my own path and what is most comfortable for me. Thanks.
 
Chris, I cant see not using lines on your work learn what you can there are many ways to do many things some seem cleaver others not so much take it all in then do your own thing. Willy's DVD are a great place to learn the basics
 
Chuck, you mentioned you use a tool to mark your center lines. What is it called or do you have a pic of it?

Thanks,

Brian
 
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